Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2005 - 30

the
mask
maker's
magic
by Deborah Bell
Masks fascinate us.
Consider the use of masks in such Broadway
productions as The Lion King and Beauty
and the Beast. Two shows that opened on
Broadway late in 2004, Gem of the Ocean
and Pacific Overtures, make significant use
of masks. Or think about what Spiderman,
Bat Man, Planet of the Apes, and Star Trek
would have been like without the art of
masked performance. Depending on how one
defines the mask, even rock performers such
as Kiss, Elton John, and Cher wear masks.
The studios of Donato Sartori (top), I Wayan Dawig (above), and Victor
Reece (below) reflect their work habits and personalities.
We enjoy and appreciate masks, and most bookstores
have a book or two about making them, yet little information
exists about mask makers themselves. How odd since the theatre world devotes substantial attention to performers, directors, and playwrights. Mask makers remain anonymous partly
perhaps because the masked performer takes precedent, and
possibly because we see proportionately fewer masked performances on stage.
TD & T
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